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Rationale: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the last trump card for severe respiratory failure. The main complications of ECMO are bleeding and thrombosis, both of which can be life-threatening. Large blood clots can cause central airway obstruction (CAO) during ECMO, and CAO should be removed as soon as possible because of asphyxiation. However, there is no comprehensive reports on its frequency and management. The purpose of this study is to share therapeutic experiences for rare and serious conditions and provide valuable insights., Patient Concerns: We report 3 patients placed on ECMO for severe respiratory failure., Diagnosis: CAO due to large blood clots occurred during ECMO in all 3 patients., Interventions: Large blood clots were removed using flexible bronchoscopy, grasping forceps, and net retrieval devices in all 3 patients., Outcomes: In all 3 patients, large blood clots were removed multiple times during ECMO. The patients' respiratory conditions improved and they were eventually weaned off the ECMO., Lessons: CAO due to large blood clots during ECMO is rare. The frequency of CAO requiring bronchoscopic removal was estimated to be approximately 1,5%. When this occurs, clots should be removed as soon as possible. Net retrieval devices are useful tools for the collection of large blood clots., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common cause of pediatric morbidity, but a standardized protocol to guide decision-making about bronchoscopy is lacking. We aimed to validate a new Foreign body aspiration score (FOBAS) for the pediatric emergency department (ED). Patients aged 0-18 years referred to the ED for suspected FBA were prospectively enrolled. FOBAS was calculated according to clinical features of a choking episode, sudden cough, exposure to nuts, absence of fever and rhinitis, stridor, and unilateral auscultatory and radiological findings. FBA risk was evaluated based on the total score (low, 1-3; moderate, 4-6; high, 7-10). Low-risk children were discharged from the ED and followed clinically. Moderate-risk children were hospitalized and evaluated by a pediatric pulmonologist, and high-risk children were referred directly for therapeutic bronchoscopy. Among the 100 enrolled children (59% males; median age 20 [interquartile range 11-39] months), a foreign body was diagnosed in 1/49 (2%), 14/41 (34.1%), and 9/10 (90%) with low, moderate, and high FOBAS, respectively (P < .001). Logistic regression indicated a higher risk for FBA with higher scores. The odds ratio for each additional point was 2.75 (95% confidence interval 1.78-4.24), and FOBAS showed a high predictive value for FBA (area under the curve 0.89). FOBAS implementation significantly reduced the rate of negative bronchoscopies, from 67.4% annually during 2016-2019 to 50% in 2020 (P = .042)., Conclusion: FOBAS reliably predicts FBA in cases of suspected FBA and improves management and in-hospital decision-making., What Is Known: • Foreign body aspiration is a major cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. • Currently, there is no unified protocol for children referred to the emergency department for suspected FBA, therefore, a well-defined algorithm is needed to improve the decision-making process., What Is New: • The pediatric Foreign body aspiration score (FOBAS) is a new, prospectively validated clinical score that shows high sensitivity and specificity for the presence of FBA in children. • FOBAS reduces unnecessary admissions and invasive procedures and leads to better clinical outcomes., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) are increasingly used in the management of both malignant and nonmalignant airway stenosis. There are multiple stents available in the market; however, the current literature on the efficacy and safety of newly available 3rd generation SEMS (Bonastent) is extremely limited and only has data from single center studies., Objectives: To report the efficacy and early (<7 days) and late (⩾7 days) complications in patients with central airway obstruction (CAO) treated with Bonastent placement at two institutions., Design: We performed a retrospective analysis of data of consecutive patients who underwent therapeutic bronchoscopy and Bonastent placement at two tertiary care university hospitals between January 2019 and November 2023., Methods: Bonastent deployment was performed in the operating room. Stents were deployed using rigid or flexible bronchoscopy under direct visualization with a flexible bronchoscope and in conjunction with fluoroscopic guidance. We then analyzed the effectiveness, short-term, and long-term complications of Bonastent placement., Results: A total of 107 Bonastents® were placed in 96 patients. The most common etiology of CAO was malignancy, 92.7% ( n  = 89), followed by excessive dynamic airway collapse (EDAC) and post-intubation tracheal stenosis. Seventy-three patients (76%) had improvement in symptoms or imaging within 7 days of stent placement, including successful liberation from mechanical ventilation in a patient with CAO. Early complications occurred in seven patients (two-airway bleeding, two-mucus plugging that improved with airway clearance, two-stent migrations, and one-cough).Late complications occurred in 23 patients (1-stent migration requiring revision bronchoscopy and replacement of airway stent, 11-mucus plugging, 6-granulation tissue, 2-pneumonia, 1-cough, 1-tumor ingrowth/stent fracture, 1-airway emergency due to excessive granulation tissue obstructing the distal end of the stent and had a failed cricothyroidotomy leading to death). Overall, the early complication rate was 7.3% (7/96) and late complication rate was 23.9% (23/96)., Conclusion: Our study is the first multicenter study that found a good safety profile with a low complication rate after tracheobronchial Bonastent placement with improvement in symptoms soon after stent placement.

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients aged 65 years and older with central airway stenosis who underwent therapeutic bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in Beijing Tiantan Hospital from January 2012 to September 2022. A total of 167 patients were included in the study. One or more comorbidities were present in 151 patients. The number of operation procedure was 230 times. Laryngeal mask ventilation under general anesthesia and electrotomy was the most common method of airway management and operation. The incidence of major complications was 5.2%. One patient with granular cell tumor died of major bleeding during stent removal. The primary malignant lesion, number of comorbidities, electrolyte disturbances and rigid bronchoscopy were risk factors for major complications, and the difference was statistically significant. The overall response rate was 99.4%. The airway stenosis grade, dyspnea score and KPS value were improved, and the differences were statistically significant. Interventional bronchoscopy under general anesthesia appeared to be safe and effective in patients aged 65 years and older with central airway stenosis. Age should not be a contraindication to interventional bronchoscopy.

Introduction: The aim of the study is to evaluate major causes of upper airway obstruction in newborns receiving healthcare at our institution, their method of endoscopic assessment and the rate of complications related to these procedures., Materials and Methods: This is a case series study of patients from institutional neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) presenting signs of ventilatory dysfunction for whom an endoscopic airway assessment was warranted. Information of interest was collected from medical records according to a Clinical and Endoscopic Assessment Protocol created for the study. The protocol included clinical manifestations needing ENT evaluation, clinical signs of ventilatory dysfunction, comorbidities (pulmonary, cardiac, neurological, and gastrointestinal), examination method (airway endoscopy under general anesthesia or awake), exam complications, and final diagnosis., Results: One hundred sixty-nine newborn patients who underwent airway endoscopy (awake bedside flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy (FFL) or direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy (DLB) in the surgical ward) were included. Thirty-nine patients (23.07%) underwent bedside FFL. For the remaining 130 who underwent DLB under general anesthesia, the median procedure time was 30 min (20-44). Only 9 (5.32%) patients presented complications: desaturation (4), laryngospasm without desaturation with spontaneous resolution (2), apnea with resolution after stimulation (1), seizures (1), nasal bleeding (1). The most frequent diagnoses found were glossoptosis, posterior laryngeal edema, and laryngomalacia., Conclusion: This retrospective case series describes the prevalence of different pathologies that cause upper airway obstruction in neonates. Airway endoscopy seems an effective and safe diagnostic tool in neonatal airway obstruction. Glossoptosis was the most prevalent cause of obstruction in our center., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Background: Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) and airway stenosis are recognized etiologies of airway obstruction among children. Their management is often challenging, requiring multiple interventions and prolonged respiratory support with associated long-term morbidity. Metallic or silicone stents have been used with mixed success and high complication rates. More recently biodegradable Ella stents (BES) provided an attractive interventional option., Objectives: We report our experience in the treatment of TBM and vascular airway compression using BES. We deliberately downsized them to minimize intraluminal granulation tissue formation., Materials and Methods: Retrospective study over an 8-year period between November 2012 and December 2020 of pediatric patients with severe airway obstruction requiring airway stenting for extubation failure, malacic death spells, recurrent chest infections, or lung collapse., Results: Thirty-three patients (5 tracheal and 28 bronchial diseases) required 55 BES during the study period. The smallest patient weighed 1.8 kg. Median age of patient at first stent implantation was 13.1 months (IQR 4.9-58.3). The majority of the bronchial stents were in the left main bronchus (93%), of which 57% for vascular compression. Repeat stents were used in 19 patients (57.7%), with a range of two to four times. We did not experience erosion, infection, or obstructive granuloma needing removal by forceps or lasering. Three stent grid occluded with secretions needing bronchoscopic lavage. Stent migration occurred in three patients., Conclusions: BES holds promise as a treatment option with low rate of adverse effects for a specific subset of pediatric patients with airway malacia or vascular compression. Further studies are warranted., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: It is difficult to select patients who will benefit from endobronchial treatment (ET) in malignant central airway obstruction (MCAO). We aimed to determine the tumor-related factors that affect the success of MCAO treatment., Methods: ETs for MCAO between March 2019 and June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The relationships between the success of the procedure and the percentage of endoluminal obstruction, tumor size, and type of lesion were evaluated., Results: Totally, 220 ETs were administered to 205 patients. Treatment was significantly more successful for the patients with pure endobronchial lesions than those with mixed lesions. The success rate was significantly lower when the tumor size was greater than 54.5 mm and the degree of endoluminal stenosis exceeded 92%; the area under the curve was 0.734 (0.625-0.842; P =0.001) and 0.733 (0.597- 0.870; P =0.001), respectively. There was no difference in the procedural success between lung cancer and extrathoracic malignancies and tumor treatment before the procedure., Conclusion: Mixed lesions, tumor size over 54.5 mm, and a degree of stenosis over 92% are risk factors for unsuccessful endoluminal obstruction procedures. These parameters should be considered when selecting patients for ET interventions., (© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Background: Central airway obstruction (CAO) are common abnormality that usually needing interventional bronchoscopy, and sometimes multiple rounds of treatment. However, there were few studies explore the safety of it., Research Design & Methods: The records of patients who underwent interventional bronchoscopy because of CAO at Respiratory department between 1 January 2010, and 31 December 2020 were revised. The patients' clinical characteristics, information about bronchoscopy and incidence of complications were collected and analyzed., Results: There were totally 1,482 bronchoscopy procedures conducted in the 733 CAO patients. And the incidence of major complications in the retreatment group was significantly lower than that in the first treatment group ((4.77% vs. 1.87%, χ 2  = 9.78, df = 1, p  < 0.01), so did the incidence of severe bleeding (2.46% vs. 0.40%, χ 2  = 11.20, df = 1, p  < 0.01). However, there was some variability between the two groups in age and anesthesia type. A short interval time, more treatment times, and general anesthesia were related to a lower incidence of hemorrhage. For patients who were previously bleeding, the incidence of hemorrhage was significantly higher than the incidence in the non-bleeding patients (42.93% vs. 16.33%, respectively; χ 2  = 57.54, df = 1, p  < 0.01)., Conclusion: For the patients with CAO, repeated interventional bronchoscopy treatment was safe, and it should be treated with discretion when retreat the patients once bleeding during previous therapeutic bronchoscopy.

Endobronchial stenting is an important aspect of the practice of interventional pulmonology. The most common indication for stenting is the management of clinically significant airway stenosis. The list of endobronchial stents available on the market continues to grow. More recently, patient-specific 3D-printed airway stents have been approved for use. Airway stenting should be considered only when all other options have been exhausted. Due to the environment of the airways and the stent-airway wall interactions, stent-related complications are common. Although stents can be placed in various clinical scenarios, they should only be placed in scenarios with proven clinical benefit. The unwarranted placement of a stent can expose the patient to complications with little or no clinical benefit. This article reviews and outlines the key principles of endobronchial stenting and important clinical scenarios in which stenting should be avoided., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: S.K. Avasarala has consulted for VisionAir Solutions (Cleveland, OH, USA). H. Dutau is a consultant for Novatech SA (La Ciotat, France). A.C. Mehta has no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright ©The authors 2023.)

Background and Objective : Although rigid bronchoscopy is generally performed in the operating room (OR), the intervention is sometimes emergently required at the intensive care unit (ICU) bedside. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of rigid bronchoscopy at the ICU bedside. Materials and Methods : We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy while in the ICU from January 2014 to December 2020. According to the location of rigid bronchoscopic intervention, patients were classified into the ICU group ( n = 171, cases emergently performed at the ICU bedside without anesthesiologists) and the OR group ( n = 165, cases electively performed in the OR with anesthesiologists). The risk of intra- and post-procedural complications in the ICU group was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression, with the OR group as the reference category. Results : Of 336 patients, 175 (52.1%) were moribund and survival was not expected without intervention, and 170 (50.6%) received invasive respiratory support before the intervention. The most common reasons for intervention were post-intubation tracheal stenosis (39.3%) and malignant airway obstruction (34.5%). Although the overall rate of intra-procedural complications did not differ between the two groups (86.0% vs. 80.6%, p = 0.188), post-procedural complications were more frequent in the ICU group than in the OR group (24.0% vs. 12.1%, p = 0.005). Severe complications requiring unexpected invasive management occurred only post-procedurally and were more common in the ICU group (10.5% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.052). In the fully adjusted model, the ICU group had increased odds for severe post-procedural complications, but statistical significance was not observed (odds ratio, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.73-8.88; p = 0.144). Conclusions : Although general anesthesia is generally considered the gold standard for rigid bronchoscopy, our findings indicate that rigid bronchoscopy may be safely performed at the ICU bedside in selective cases of emergency. Moreover, adequate patient selection and close post-procedural monitoring are required to prevent severe complications.

Benign central airway obstruction is commonly referred as nonmalignant central airway obstruction (NMCAO). This is in part related to its lack of benign nature and significant life-quality impairment in patients. It is a pathologic entity with various etiologies and therefore a wide range of therapeutic options are available. Evidence regarding the optimal management that could provide a sustained restoration of airway patency is lacking. The lack of a common pathophysiologic pathway translating into a nonspecific symptom presenting as NMCAO has complicated treatment standardization and subsequently limited solid research to favor of one approach over another one. Our intent is to describe the limited evidence of the most utilized nonsurgical treatment for NMCAO as well as some upcoming promising therapeutic options such as mitomycin C injection, microdebrider, biodegradable stents, radiotherapy, Hybrid Knife, and endoluminal spray cryotherapy. Our goal with this manuscript is to motivate other authors to venture into prospective, multicenter, open-label trials aimed to describe long-term outcomes in patients with NMCAO., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Malignant central airway obstruction (MCAO) is a debilitating and life-limiting complication that occurs in an unfortunately large number of individuals with advanced intrathoracic cancer. Although the management of MCAO is multimodal and interdisciplinary, the task of providing patients with prompt palliation falls increasingly on the shoulders of interventional pulmonologists. While a variety of tools and techniques are available for the management of malignant obstructive lesions, advancements and evolution in this therapeutic venue have been somewhat sluggish and limited when compared with other branches of interventional pulmonary medicine (e.g., the early diagnosis of peripheral lung nodules). Indeed, one pragmatic, albeit somewhat uncharitable, reading of this article's title might suggest a wry smile and shug of the shoulders as to imply that relatively little has changed in recent years. That said, the spectrum of interventions for MCAO continues to expand, even if at a less impressive clip. Herein, we present on MCAO and its endoscopic and nonendoscopic management-that which is old, that which is new, and that which is still on the horizon., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To assess the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties as well as the long-term complications of prolonged endobronchial foreign body retention., Method: Between January 2000 and May 2021, 794 patients with suspected foreign body aspiration (FBA) were hospitalized in our department. A total of 12 patients with a delayed diagnosis of over 1 month were included. FBAs were confirmed by flexible or rigid endoscopy. A retrospective analysis of medical records was performed., Results: Six male patients and six female patients were hospitalized due to prolonged FBA. The average age was 6.90 years (range: 1-13 years). The average duration of the foreign body retention was 2.60 years (2 months to 9 years). A choking event was found in eight cases. Coughing and wheezing were the main symptoms and signs. A misdiagnosis of asthma was made for five patients. Two atypical clinical presentations led to diagnosis of endobronchial foreign body, unilateral pleurisy, and hemoptysis. We report one case of an occult foreign body externalized spontaneously through a pneumo-pleuro-cutaneous fistula. The most common clinical and radiological findings were of pneumonia and atelectasis. Computed tomography showed localized bronchiectasis in three patients. FBAs were removed with a rigid bronchoscope in eight cases. Other extractions were carried out with a flexible endoscope. The foreign bodies were most frequently of vegetable origin, such as seeds and peanuts. A granulation tissue was observed in seven cases. Bronchial stenosis and bronchiectasis are the most common late complications. Only one patient needed a surgical intervention., Conclusions: FBA should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic or recurrent respiratory diseases, even in the absence of a previous choking event. Clinical and radiological findings should be carefully evaluated for a possible FBA. Delay in diagnosis and treatment of FBA should be avoided in order to prevent complications. Open surgery may be required when lung abscess has occurred., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Interventional bronchoscopy is now the standard treatment for tracheobronchial narrowing due to tumor. The objective of our study was to analyze long-term survival and complications occurring in patients with malignant airway obstruction., Methods: We retrospectively studied the data from 93 patients treated between 2008 and 2019., Results: One hundred and eleven therapeutic bronchoscopies were performed. Sixty-seven patients had primary lung cancer, in 17 had tumors of another origin and 9 patients had benign or local lung tumors. Thulium laser was frequently used prior to tumor enucleation and to restore hemostasis. Seventy-one silicone stents were inserted. The death rate at the time of the procedure was 1.8% and immediate complication occurred in 9.9% of the patients. Long-term survival was significantly better for patients with cancer from other origins than in those with primary lung cancer (615.5days versus 177.9days). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in long-term survival between patients with locally advanced and metastatic lung cancer with endobronchial lesions treated by stent and those who were not (234.2days versus 164.6days). All patients with benign or with locally malignant tumors were still alive., Conclusion: Therapeutic bronchoscopy increases the long-term survival of patients with malignant airway obstruction. The risk-benefit ratio was favorable., (Copyright © 2022 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: At present, bronchoscopic intervention has become an important treatment approach for central airway obstruction (CAO). Choosing an appropriate access channel for different patients during this operation has become a research focus., Methods: Data of bronchoscopic interventions in 201 patients with CAO in which one of endotracheal intubation, laryngeal mask, or rigid bronchoscope were used as the only access channel were retrospectively reviewed., Results: The total immediate effective rate was 94.1% (398/423), and the main complications related to the access channels included hypoxemia, elevated arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide, arrhythmia, airway mucosa tear, glottic edema, vocal cord injury, tooth loss, massive bleeding, airway mucosal necrosis, and asphyxia. The incidence of complications was 16.8% (71/423). Glottic edema was the most common complication with an incidence of 7.8% (33/423) and accounted for 46.5% of all complications. Glottic edema only occurred in the laryngeal mask and rigid bronchoscope groups, and the incidence was significantly correlated with the operation time ( p < 0.001). Massive bleeding related to the access channel remains the most serious complication., Conclusions: Endotracheal intubation, laryngeal mask, and rigid bronchoscope each have their own advantages and disadvantages. The most appropriate access channel should depend on a comprehensive assessment of the patient.

Background: Malignant central airway obstruction may result in an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) that precludes treatment with systemic therapies. We sought to evaluate outcomes of patients undergoing rigid bronchoscopy for malignant central airways obstruction (MCAO) and its effect on access to systemic therapies including immunotherapy., Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational single-center study evaluating 77 consecutive patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy from March 2015 to November 2019. Procedural details, preprocedural and postprocedural ECOG PS, complications, and proportions of patients receiving systemic therapy postprocedure were recorded., Results: The majority of patients were ECOG PS 2 to 3 at diagnosis (62%). The most common indication was MCAO due to squamous cell carcinoma (35.1%). MCAO was managed with a debulking/dilatation procedure alone (51.9%) or in combination with stenting (48.1%). The laser was unavailable, electrocautery was used for hemostasis only not tumor ablation. Significant improvement in ECOG PS postprocedure in the group with baseline ECOG PS 3 to 4 (P<0.0001) and in those with baseline ECOG PS 0 to 4 (P<0.00001) was observed. The main complication was bleeding, controlled bronchoscopically with mechanical compression with a rigid bronchoscope and/or electrocautery (68.8% of patients). No deaths occurred. Overall, 70% of those presenting with ECOG 3 to 4 went onto receive systemic therapies that would have been contraindicated due to poor baseline ECOG PS., Conclusion: Therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy is safe and efficacious in the management of MCAO, improving ECOG PS allowing for the administration of systemic therapies. This is especially important in the era of immunotherapy and directed therapies, which have been shown to provide significant survival benefit over conventional therapies alone., Competing Interests: Disclosure: There is no conflict of interest or other disclosures., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Practice patterns for the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during high-risk airway interventions vary, and data are limited. We aim to characterize our recent experience using ECMO for procedural support during whole-lung lavage (WLL) and high-risk bronchoscopy for central airway obstruction (CAO)., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adults who received ECMO during WLL and high-risk bronchoscopy from 1 July 2018 to 30 March 2020. Our primary end point was successful completion of the intervention. Secondary end points included ECMO-associated complications and hospital survival., Results: Eight patients received venovenous ECMO for respiratory support during 9 interventions; 3 WLLs for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis were performed in 2 patients, and 6 patients underwent 6 bronchoscopic interventions for CAO. We initiated ECMO prior to the intervention in 8 cases and during the intervention in 1 case for respiratory decompensation. All 9 interventions were successfully completed. Median ECMO duration was 17.8 h (interquartile range, 15.9-26.6) for the pulmonary alveolar proteinosis group and 1.9 h (interquartile range, 1.4-8.1) for the CAO group. There was 1 cannula-associated deep vein thrombosis; there were no other ECMO complications. Seven patients (87.5%) and 4 (50.0%) patients survived to discharge and 1 year postintervention, respectively., Conclusions: Use of venovenous ECMO to facilitate high-risk airway interventions is safe and feasible. Planned preprocedural ECMO initiation may prevent avoidable respiratory emergencies and extend therapeutic airway interventions to patients otherwise considered too high-risk to treat. Guidelines are needed to inform the utilization of ECMO during high-risk bronchoscopy and other airway interventions., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: The lobar airway stenting remains an endoscopic procedure not well standardized in patients with locally advanced lung cancer disease. The goal of this study was to evaluate technical feasibility, clinical outcome, and complications of different stents in patients with malignant lesions involving lobar bronchi, primary and secondary carina., Methods: Between November 2008 and October 2013, we retrospectively analyzed 146 patients with benign and malignant tracheobronchial stenosis who underwent airway stent insertion below main carina and main bronchi., Results: In all, 170 airway stenting procedures were performed on 146 patients. In all, 51 of them with malignant peripheral airway stenosis underwent stents placement below main carina. In all but one patient, the deployment of stents was successful with improvement of symptoms. The chest radiograph after the procedure detected the lung re-expansion in 29 of 51 patients. The mean follow-up duration was 123 days ± 157. Complications observed included stent migration, tumor overgrowth, infections, granulation tissue formation, and obstruction due to tenacious secretions. Longer survival was observed in patients who received additional treatment after airway stenting compared to those who did not (p <0.01)., Conclusions: Stenting of lobar bronchi and primary or secondary carina is technically feasible, effective, and acceptably safe.

Over the past century rigid bronchoscopy has been established as the main therapeutic means for central airway diseases of both benign and malignant aetiology. Its use requires general anaesthesia and mechanical ventilation usually in the form of manual or high-frequency jet ventilation. Techniques applied to regain patency of the central airways include mechanical debulking, thermal ablation (laser, electrocautery and argon plasma coagulation) and cryo-surgery. Each of these techniques have their advantages and limitations and best results can be attained by combining different modalities according to the type, location and extent of the airway blockage. If needed, deployment of airway endoprostheses (stents), as either fixed-diameter silicone or self-expandable metal stents, may preserve the airways patency often at the cost of several complications. Newer generation of customised stents either three-dimensional printed or drug-eluting stents constitute a promise for improved safety and efficacy results in the near future. Treating central disease of benign or malignant aetiology, foreign body aspiration or massive bleeding in the airways requires a structured approach with combined techniques, a dedicated team of professionals and experience to treat eventual complications. Specific training and fellowships in interventional pulmonology should therefore be offered to those who wish to specialise in this field., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: A. Rosell has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: G. Stratakos has nothing to disclose., (Copyright ©ERS 2020.)

Background: Tracheobronchial stenting either alone or with esophageal stenting is often required for symptom palliation in obstructive or fistulous lesions of the airway due to esophageal cancer. There is limited evidence regarding dual stenting for lesions near the carina due to esophageal cancer. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the technical feasibility, outcomes, and complications of preplanned dual stenting in these patients., Methods: This is a prospective observational study carried out over a period of 4 years (January 2015 to July 2019). All patients undergoing dual stenting in the airway and esophagus with obstructive or fistulous lesions near the carina were included. The esophageal stent was placed within 24 hours. Prestenting and poststenting symptoms were compared using a symptom-based visual analog scale, Hugh Jones dyspnea scale and dysphagia scale., Results: Twenty-nine patients (20 males; mean±SD age, 55.3±12.2 y) underwent dual stenting. Twenty-four patients had central airway obstruction due to: infiltration in 20 (69%) and external compression in 4 (13.7%), respectively. Five (17.3%) patients had tracheoesophageal fistula with no airway obstruction. In 80% of the patients (n=23), silicone stents were placed. There was significant improvement in both dyspnea and dysphagia after dual stenting (P<0.001). Mucus plugging, lower respiratory infection, and granulation tissue were the main complications. Median survival after dual stent was 97 days (range, 17 to 297 d)., Conclusion: Dual stenting within the airway and the esophagus is a safe and viable option for palliative relief of symptoms in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

Background: Airway stenting is a procedure in which a stent is inserted into a stenotic site of the airway. The safest method of ventilation for airway stenting is controversial. A prospective randomized interventional study was conducted on airway stenting. We conducted this study to investigate whether controlled ventilation with muscle relaxants (MR) during airway stenting reduces the incidence of desaturation events (percutaneous oxygen saturation [SpO2] <95%) in comparison with spontaneous respiration (SP)., Methods: Sixty-four patients were enrolled at our hospital between April 2016 and August 2018, and were randomly assigned to the controlled ventilation with MR group or SP group. For anesthesia, total intravenous anesthesia with propofol target-controlled infusion and remifentanil was performed. In the SP group, SP was maintained. In the MR group, a rigid bronchoscope was inserted after the administration of MR to perform controlled ventilation. The incidence of desaturation events was analyzed by logistic regression adjusted by the preoperative respiratory state and stenotic site of the airway., Results: The incidence of desaturation events in the SP and MR groups was 75.0% (24/32) and 9.7% (3/31), respectively, with an odds ratio of 0.04 (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.16, reference = SP group; P < .001). In the SP group, the mean intraoperative pH was lower than that in the MR group (7.2 ± 0.1 vs 7.4 ± 0.1, respectively; P < .001). In this group, the mean partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) was higher (70.2 ± 17.0 mm Hg vs 40.5 ± 8.0 mm Hg, respectively; P < .001) and the mean partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood/fraction of the inspiratory oxygen ratio was lower (263.1 ± 64.2 mm Hg vs 396.4 ± 69.4 mm Hg, respectively; P < .001)., Conclusions: Controlled ventilation with MR during airway stenting reduced the incidence of desaturation events, maintaining a favorable respiratory status.

Introduction and Objective: Silicon and metallic are two types of stents in use. In this study, we compared complications and long-term survival among patients who received silicon or fully covered, bifurcated self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) for a malignant tracheobronchial obstruction and/or tracheo/bronchial oesophageal fistulas., Methods: Patients in whom Y-shaped stents were used from January 2013 to June 2017 in our interventional pulmonology unit were evaluated retrospectively from patient files., Results: Of the 47 patients, 30 (23 males, 76.7%) were in the silicon stent group and 17 (14 males, 82.4%) were in the covered SEMS group. No differences between the groups were detected in ECOG status, pathological properties of the disease, radiotherapy or chemotherapy history before the procedure, symptoms at presentation, or comorbidities. The most common symptom was dyspnoea (96.7% and 100%), and the most common comorbidity was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (26.7% and 23.5%). A total of 20 complications (42.6%) were seen, with no significant difference between the groups (silicon, 40%; SEMS, 47.1%; P = . 62). Mean survival was 164.51 ± 38.83 days for the silicon stent group and 254.45 ± 103.32 days for the SEMS group (P = .588). No differences were observed in 30-, 90- or 180-day mortality between the two groups (P = .966, .846 and .534, respectively)., Conclusions: No significant differences in symptom palliation, insertion safety, complication rate or survival were detected between the two types of stent., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Tracheobronchial stents (TBS) are the principal modalities in the management of central airway obstruction with intrinsic tracheobronchial pathology and extrinsic airway compression. The aim of the study is to assess the indications, surveillance management, complications, and long-term outcomes of the TBS managed by rigid bronchoscopy (RB) in our 10-year experience., Materials and Methods: The files of all patients who underwent stenting in two centers from November 2008 to September 2018 were reviewed for background data, type of disease, and indication for the placement of stents, symptoms, treatment, complications and outcome., Result: 305 patients were stented with 342 TBS. TBS were placed in both malignant (n= 223) and benign airway diseases (n= 82). The median length of stent stay was 88 (34-280) days in patients with malignancies and 775 (228-2085) days in benign diseases. There was no stent-related mortality. Mucostasis (19%) and granulation tissue formation (17%) were the most common stentrelated complications. Benign nature of the disease, tumors metastatic to tracheobronchial tree, lenght of stent stay, and shape of stent were associated with the development of complications., Conclusions: TBS offer a safe and effective therapy for patients with both benign and malign tracheobronchial pathologies.

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare, often debilitating and potentially lethal disease characterized by an exuberant fibroinflammatory response within the mediastinum. Patients typically present with insidious symptoms related to compression of adjacent structures including the esophagus, heart, airways, and cardiac vessels. Fibrosing mediastinitis is most often triggered by Histoplasmosis infection; however, antifungal and anti-inflammatory therapies are largely ineffective. While structural interventions aimed at alleviating obstruction can provide significant palliation, surgical interventions are challenging with high mortality and clinical experience with percutaneous interventions is limited. Here, we will review the presentation, natural history, and treatment of fibrosing mediastinitis, placing particular emphasis on catheter-based therapies., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: (1) Describe outcomes of bronchoscopy with foreign body removal among children on the basis of a large standardized multi-institutional data set. (2) Identify factors associated with 30-day adverse events., Study Design: Cross-sectional analysis of a US national database., Setting: Public data set from the ACS NSQIP-P (American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric) from 2012 to 2015., Subjects and Methods: Children <18 years old who underwent bronchoscopy with removal of foreign body were identified. Patient demographics, comorbidities, hospitalization factors, surgical characteristics, and 30-day postoperative adverse events, including complication and readmission, were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression identified predictive factors for postoperative complications and prolonged length of stay., Results: A total of 275 children underwent bronchoscopic foreign body removal (n = 165 male, 60%; n = 75 nonwhite and/or Hispanic, 27%; mean age, 3.5 years [range, 0.63-17.9; median, 2.0]). Adverse events occurred among 10 children (4%). Seven had pulmonary-related complications, and 1 patient died. Three patients were readmitted; there were no reoperations. On multivariate analysis, preoperative pulmonary disease or need for pulmonary support (odds ratio [OR], 6.42; P = .04) predicted postoperative complications. Preoperative pulmonary compromise (OR, 8.10; P < .01), American Society of Anesthesiologists class 3 or 4 (OR, 4.13; P < .01), and prolonged operative time (OR, 3.05; P = .01) were associated with prolonged hospital stay., Conclusion: Bronchoscopy for retrieval of foreign body among children has an overall low incidence of 30-day adverse events. Children with preoperative pulmonary compromise have a significantly higher risk of postoperative complications. These findings may be applied to optimize perioperative care and counsel parents and families.

Benign central airway obstruction (CAO) is responsible for significant morbidity due to dyspnea and impaired quality of life. While iatrogenic causes, including stenosis after endotracheal intubation, tracheostomy tube placement, and surgery, account for the majority of cases of benign CAO, there are a multitude of other causes including infections, inflammatory disorders, extrinsic compression, benign endobronchial tumors, and tracheobronchomalacia. The approach to management depends on the underlying process responsible for the disorder and may include systemic therapy, endoscopic therapy, and surgery. In this review, we aim to provide a general overview of the presentation, evaluation, and management of nonmalignant CAO followed by a more in-depth review of several of the more common causes of this disorder., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)

Background: A right-sided double-lumen tube (R-DLT) tends to obstruct the right upper lobe intraoperatively due to anatomical distortion during surgery. If the R-DLT is poorly matched with the patient's airway anatomy, it will not be possible to correctly replace the tube with a fiberoptic bronchoscope (FOB). In our study, we aimed to explore an efficient method for difficult repositioning caused by right upper lobe occlusion during surgery: repositioning the R-DLT from the right main bronchus into the left main bronchus. The current study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of this method., Methods: Sixty adult patients scheduled to undergo left-sided thoracic surgery were randomly assigned to two groups. With the patient in the right lateral position during surgery, the R-DLT was pulled back to the trachea while being rotated 90° clockwise; it was then either rotated 90° clockwise for placement into the left main bronchus (Group L) or rotated 90° anticlockwise and returned to the right main bronchus (Group R) using FOB guidance. The primary outcomes included clinical performance, which was measured by intubation time, and the quality of lung collapse. A secondary outcome was safety, which was determined according to bronchial injury and vocal cord injury., Results: The median intubation time (IQR [range]) required for placement of a R-DLT into the left main bronchus was shorter than the time required for placement into the right main bronchus (15.0 s [IQR, 12.0 to 20.0 s]) vs 23.5 s [IQR, 14.5 to 65.8 s], P = 0.005). The groups showed comparable overall results for the quality of lung collapse during the total period of one-lung ventilation (P = 1.000). The numbers of patients with bronchial injuries or vocal cord injuries were also comparable between groups (Group R, 11/30 vs. Group L 8/30, P = 0.580 for bronchus injuries; Group R, 15/30 vs. Group L 13/30, P = 0.796 for vocal cord injuries)., Conclusions: Repositioning a R-DLT from the right main bronchus into the left main bronchus had good clinical performance without causing additional injury. This may be an efficient method for the difficult repositioning of a R-DLT due to right upper lobe occlusion during surgery., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IPR-15006933 , registered on 15 August 2015.

Airway stenting is a procedure in which a stent is inserted into a stenotic site in the airway. However, the optimal ventilation for airway stenting remains controversial. We have planned a randomized, unblinded controlled study to compare intraoperative respiratory status by dividing patients, who underwent airway stenting, into spontaneous respiration (SP) and controlled ventilation with muscle relaxants (MR) groups. This study started in April 2016. The subjects, patients aged ≥20 years with airway stenosis caused by malignant neoplasms for which airway stenting was scheduled, are randomly allocated to SP and MR groups. Anesthesia management is performed in accordance with the anesthetic methods established in each group to compare parameters of the intraoperative respiratory status. The primary endpoint is the incidence of intraoperative oxygen desaturation events (SpO 2 <95). Secondary endpoints are the mean intraoperative P/F ratio, pH, PaCO 2 , adverse events, and proportion of protocol treatment achievement. Currently, there is no evidence of anesthetic methods affecting airway stenting. Some studies have claimed that muscle relaxants worsen airway stenosis, while others have reported stable anesthetic management of controlled ventilation with muscle relaxants in airway stenting. This study may aid in clarifying anesthetic methods for airway stenting.

Objectives: To evaluate outcomes of foreign body aspiration (FBA) and to investigate surgeon and hospital volume as risk factors for a complicated course., Study Design: Retrospective case series., Methods: Children with FBA in a multihospital network were identified from January 2005 to September 2015. Demographic information, surgeon, and hospital location were reviewed. Mean operative time and hospital length of stay were recorded. Cases requiring intensive care unit admission, hospital stay greater than 24 hours, need for more than one bronchoscopy, operative time greater than 1 hour, or death were considered "complicated.", Results: A total of 450 cases of airway foreign body extraction were performed. Patient ages ranged from 0.6 to 18.8 years, with a median age of 1.9 years. Bronchoscopy with foreign body extraction was performed by 55 different surgeons at 11 different facilities. There were one to 24 surgeons for each facility, with an average number of 5.4 surgeons per facility. A total of 88 (19.6%) cases were considered complicated, including five (1.1%) deaths. Increased rates of complications were seen with unwitnessed aspiration (P = 0.008) and hyperlucency (P < 0.001) or infiltrates (P = 0.001) on chest radiographs. No significant association was found between surgeon type or facility as related to a complicated case., Conclusions: Unwitnessed aspiration events and abnormalities on chest radiograph may be associated with a more complicated course in children with FBA. This multihospital study identified a low number of procedures by many surgeons; however, surgeon and hospital volume did not significantly correlate with higher complication rates., Level of Evidence: 4. Laryngoscope, 128:490-495, 2018., (© 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Background: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is commonly performed to assess, diagnose, and treat patients with respiratory disease, and is typically performed via transnasal or transoral approaches. FB can be performed via tracheal tubes in patients with tracheostomies; however, the safety and technical feasibility has not been established. The present study evaluates the safety and feasibility of performing FB via tracheal tubes., Materials and Methods: A total of 45 patients underwent 56 procedures involving FB via tracheal tubes at a single institution from November 2013 to November 2014 and were included in this retrospective case series., Results: Patients had a median age of 68 years (interquartile range, 56 to 82.5), and 51% were female. Most patients had 2 comorbidities (interquartile range, 1 to 3), with the most common being hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. Upper airway obstruction was the primary indication for bronchoscopy in 40% of patients. Fifty-three percent of patients had a Shiley tube #6, [internal cannula diameter (ICD) of 6.5 mm]; tracheal tubes in the remaining patients ranged from Shiley #4 (ICD, 5.5 mm) to Shiley #8 (ICD, 8.5 mm). One patient did not complete the procedure due to severe hypertension (intraprocedural systolic blood pressure >180 mm Hg). During FB, no patients experienced cardiorespiratory arrest, arrhythmia, bleeding, or desaturation that required resuscitation. Eleven patients had a mucus plug leading to atelectasis during bronchoscopy, and 8 of these had a postprocedural chest x-ray finding of lung reexpansion., Conclusion: FB via tracheal tubes is a technically feasible and safe procedure that does not compromise patient oxygenation.

Obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane (OFTP) is a rare and potentially severe complication of endotracheal intubation characterized by a tubular pseudomembrane that obstructs the trachea and induces clinical symptoms of airway obstruction after extubation. In this report, we reviewed and summarized all published cases of OFTP (n = 58) between 1981 and 2015. Twenty-three of 52 patients were men, and the mean age was 36 ± 22 years. Intubation was emergent in 41 of 53 cases. OFTP was revealed by acute symptoms in 19 of 39 cases and led to acute respiratory failure in 13 of 39 cases. Symptoms occurred 3 ± 3 days after extubation. A tracheal obstruction ≥70% was observed in 14 of 18 cases. Bronchoscopic removal was performed in 49 of 58 cases with no recurrence. In conclusion, OFTP is characterized by a typical clinical and endoscopic presentation, with no recurrence after bronchoscopic removal. Early recognition and bronchoscopy are key elements for efficient diagnosis and treatment.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of bronchoscopic cryotherapy for pediatric poor ventilation., Methods: A total of 156 pediatric patients with airway stenosis and obstruction as well as pulmonary atelectasis received bronchoscopic cryotherapy. Treatment efficacy was evaluated on bronchoscopy Before cryotherapy and after the last cryotherapy treatment. Pulmonary atelectasis was assessed according to range of atelectasis on chest computed tomography (CT), and tracheobronchial stenosis according to pulmonary function, tidal volume analysis and dyspnea index., Results: The 154 patients with effective treatment had patent airway, smooth mucosa and resolved atelectasis. In the two patients with ineffective treatment, however, the airway was not smooth and the range of pulmonary atelectasis was reduced by <30%. Among the 156 patients, 136 had markedly effective treatment, with CT pulmonary atelectasis recovery >70%. The width of the main airway significantly increased approximately 50% and the tidal volume or capacity increased 100%. Effective treatment was identified in 18 patients (18/156), with CT pulmonary atelectasis area reduced 30-70%. Ineffective treatment was noted in two patients, with CT pulmonary atelectasis area reduced by <30%. No complications were noted in any patients during or after operation. No recurrence was noted on follow up of 2-24 months., Conclusion: Bronchoscopic cryotherapy is effective and safe for dyspnea caused by airway obstruction, and wide application in clinic is recommended., (© 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.)

Roughly 10% of lung transplant recipients experience airway complications. Although the incidence has decreased dramatically since the first lung transplants were performed in the 1960s, airway complications have continued to adversely affect outcomes. Bronchoscopic interventions such as balloon dilation, airway stenting, and endobronchial electrocautery play an important role in ameliorating the morbidity and mortality associated with these complications. This review describes the array of bronchoscopic interventions used to treat airway complications after lung transplant and how these techniques can be used in nontransplant settings as well.

Objective: To report our experience with a new type of biodegradable airway stent in the setting of severe tracheobronchial obstruction in children., Design and Methodology: We conducted a retrospective and prospective (since June 2014) study of pediatric patients with severe airway obstruction treated with biodegradable stents in our institution between 2012 and 2015. The following data were collected: demographics, indication for stenting, bronchoscopic findings, insertion technique complications, clinical outcome, stent related complications, re-stenting, and time of follow-up., Results: Thirteen custom-made polydioxanone stents were placed in four infants (mean age, 4 months) with severe tracheobronchial obstruction: tracheomalacia (two patients), bronchomalacia (1), and diffuse tracheal stenosis (1). All the stents were bronchoscopically inserted uneventfully. Immediate and maintained clinical improvement was observed in every case. No major stent related complications have occurred and only mild or moderate granulation tissue was observed during surveillance bronchoscopy. Two patients required repeated stenting as expected. All the patients are alive and in a good respiratory condition with a follow-up ranging from 5 to 40 months., Conclusions: Biodegradable airway stents seem to be safe, effective, and cause fewer complications than other types of stents. They can be an alternative to the classic metallic or plastic stents for severe tracheal stenosis or malacia in small children. More experience is needed in order to establish the definite clinical criteria for their use in pediatric patients. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:607-612. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Central airway obstruction (CAO) is a serious condition that affects patients with both benign and malignant diseases. Timely recognition of CAO is crucial for prompt intervention aimed at improving the symptoms and quality of life of these patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the formal radiology reporting of CAO and its impact on patients' outcomes., Methods: The medical records of patients who underwent advanced therapeutic bronchoscopy for CAO from August 2013 to September 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Three researchers each reviewed 14 of the 42 formal radiology reports that were performed at 16 different medical and radiology centers.Patient characteristics were reported as means, medians, and standard deviations for continuous variables, and as frequencies and relative frequencies for categorical variables., Results: Out of 42 patients who underwent advanced bronchoscopy for planned therapeutic intervention, only 30 had radiology and pulmonology concordance about the airway findings of CAO. This is an agreement rate of 71.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 56.7-83.3%] or a disagreement rate of 28.6% (95% CI: 16.7-43.3%). The radiology reports did not mention 31% of CAO on CT scans. The median time from CT imaging to bronchoscopy was significantly longer in patients with CAO not reported by the radiologists (21 versus 10 days; p = 0.011). Most patients improved postoperatively with no significant difference between the two groups., Conclusions: Findings of CAOs were not described in a significant proportion of radiology reports. This results in significant delay in bronchoscopic airway management., (© The Author(s), 2015.)

Tracheal or bronchial proximal stenoses occur as complications in 20-30% of lung cancers, resulting in a dramatic alteration in quality of life and poor prognosis. Bronchoscopic management of these obstructions is based on what are known as "thermal" techniques for intraluminal stenosis and/or placement of tracheal or bronchial prostheses for extrinsic compressions, leading to rapid symptom palliation in the vast majority of patients. This invasive treatment should only be used in cases of symptomatic obstructions and in the presence of viable bronchial tree and downstream parenchyma. This review aims to clarify 1) the available methods for assessing the characteristics of stenoses before treatment, 2) the various techniques available including their preferred indications, outcomes and complications, and 3) the integration of interventional bronchoscopy in the multidisciplinary management of proximal bronchial cancers and its synergistic effects with the other specific treatments (surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy)., (Copyright ©ERS 2015.)

Background: In China, tracheobronchial foreign body (TFB) aspiration, a major cause of emergency episode and accident death in children, remains a challenge for anesthetic management. Here, we share our experience and discuss the anesthetic consideration and management of patients with TFB aspiration., Methods: This was a single-institution retrospective study in children with an inhaled foreign body between 1991 and 2010 that focused on the complications following rigid bronchoscopy (RB). Data including the clinical characteristics of patients and TFB, anesthetic method, and postoperative severe complications were analyzed by different periods., Results: During the 20-year study period, the charts of 3149 patients who underwent RB for suspected inhaled TFB were reviewed. There were 2079 male and 1070 female patients (1.94:1). A nut (84%) was the most commonly inhaled object. The study revealed a 9% (n = 284) overall rate of severe postoperative complications related to severe hypoxemia, laryngeal edema, complete laryngospasm, pneumothorax, total segmental atelectasis, and death with incidences of 3.2%, 0.9%, 1.3%, 0.3%, 0.3%, and 0.1%, respectively. The rates of preoperative airway impairment, negative findings of TFB, and adverse postoperative events have been on the rise in the past 5 years., Conclusions: The survey results confirmed that hypoxemia remains the most common postoperative complication in different periods. Both controlled ventilation and spontaneous ventilation were effective during the RB extraction of the foreign body at our hospital in the modern technique period. An active respiratory symptom was commonly seen in the groups with negative findings.

Purpose: Malignant airway stenosis extending from the bronchial bifurcation to the lower lobar orifice was treated with airway stenting. We herein examine the effectiveness of airway stenting for extensive malignant airway stenosis., Methods: Twelve patients with extensive malignant airway stenosis underwent placement of a silicone Dumon Y stent (Novatech, La Ciotat, France) at the tracheal bifurcation and a metallic Spiral Z-stent (Medico's Hirata, Osaka, Japan) at either distal side of the Y stent. We retrospectively analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of the sequential placement of these silicone and metallic stents in these 12 patients., Results: The primary disease was lung cancer in eight patients, breast cancer in two patients, tracheal cancer in one patient, and thyroid cancer in one patient. The median survival period after airway stent placement was 46 days. The Hugh-Jones classification and performance status improved in nine patients after airway stenting. One patient had prolonged hemoptysis and died of respiratory tract hemorrhage 15 days after the treatment., Conclusion: Because the initial disease was advanced and aggressive, the prognosis after sequential airway stent placement was significantly poor. However, because respiratory distress decreased after the treatment in most patients, this treatment may be acceptable for selected patients with extensive malignant airway stenosis.

The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to rigid bronchoscopy (RB). We will briefly discuss its history, evolution, and resurgence while we highlight its versatility and usefulness for today's interventional pulmonologist and thoracic surgeon. Despite being one of the earliest pulmonary procedures described, RB is still an important technique. Advances in thoracic medicine have made this skill critical for a fully functional interventional pulmonary program. If the interventional pulmonologist of this century is to be successful, he or she should be facile in this technique. Despite the availability of RB for decades, the invention of flexible bronchoscopy in 1966 led to a significant downturn in its usage. The growth of the interventional pulmonology field brought RB back into the spot light. Apart from the historic role of RB in treatment of central airway lesions and mechanical debulking of endobronchial lesions, RB is the key instrument that can adapt modern therapeutic tools such as laser, argon plasma coagulation, electrocautery, cryotherapy, and stent deployment. Performing RB requires proper preprocedure preparation, exceptional understanding of upper airway anatomy, specific hand-eye coordination, and open communication between the bronchoscopist and the anesthesiologist. These skills can be primarily learned and maintained with repetition. This article will review information relevant to this technique and lay a foundation to be built upon for years to come., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)

Central airway obstruction (CAO) is seen in malignant and nonmalignant airway disorders and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Endobronchial ablative therapies are used in conjunction with mechanical debridement to achieve hemostasis and restore airway patency. These therapies can be classified into modalities with immediate or delayed effect. Therapies with immediate effect include heat therapies (such as electrocautery, argon plasma coagulation, and laser) and cryorecanalization using a cryoprobe for tissue extraction. These modalities can be used in severe CAO for immediate relief of obstruction. Therapies with delayed effect include cryotherapy, brachytherapy, and photodynamic therapy. These modalities should not be used for acutely symptomatic CAO, and typically require follow-up bronchoscopy for removal of debris from the airway. Multimodality approach typically leads to better outcomes., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)

Background: Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration is a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. We analyzed our experience in management of aspirated foreign bodies, including methods of anesthesia used, over a 4-year period., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of tracheobronchial foreign body removal by rigid bronchoscopy with spontaneous ventilation in 435 children. All patients had received initial anesthesia with inhaled sevoflurane. One hundred and ninety-seven patients (Group PropRemi) then received intravenous propofol and remifentanyl for maintenance of anesthesia; the remaining 238 patients (Group PropSevo) received propofol and sevoflurane., Results: Tracheobronchial foreign body was found in 405 children (93.1%) and successfully removed from 402 (99.3%) children. Among three patients who failed bronchoscopy, one child suffered cardiac arrest and died during the bronchoscopy, and two required subsequent tracheotomy for foreign body removal. Adverse effects (intraoperative coughing, breath holding, body movement, bronchospasm, and laryngospasm) were significantly more frequent in Group PropRemi than in Group PropSevo. No complications such as bleeding, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, or the need for thoracotomy were encountered., Conclusion: Sevoflurane induction followed by a combination of sevoflurane and continuous infusion of propofol resulted in fewer adverse events than sevoflurane induction followed by TIVA with propofol and remifentanyl during rigid bronchoscopy for airway foreign body removal in children with spontaneous ventilation., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Endobronchial intervention has been well established in therapeutic and palliative methods for patients with malignant and benign airway obstruction. Central airway tumor obstruction could lead to significant dyspnea or hemoptysis and dramatically lower the quality of life. Such symptoms can be relieved immediately via bronchoscopic intervention. Endobronchial therapies such as neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet( Nd:YAG) laser therapy, argon plasma coagulation and microwave coagulation or stent placement are well-established treatment options. Each of these modalities has its specific advantages and disadvantages. Laser therapy is direct thermal ablation applied to endobronchial tumors. It has sufficient power to vaporize tissues and produces an excellent coagulation effect. However, the risk of perforation is high. On the other hand, photodynamic therapy has the curative potential for patients with early superficial lung cancer using low power laser. Moreover, it has recently been approved for the treatment of other cancers including advanced lung cancer. Stent placement is an effective treatment to re-establish airway patency and immediately relieve the patient from life-threatening dyspnea. Stent restenosis, migration, mucus plug and hemoptysis are common short-term and longterm problems. It is important to select the appropriate treatment method for each patient to avoid complications and achieve successful results.

Palliative airway treatments are essential to improve quality and length of life in lung cancer patients with central airway obstruction. Rigid bronchoscopy has proved to be an excellent tool to provide airway access and control in this cohort of patients. The main indication for rigid bronchoscopy in adult bronchology remains central airway obstruction due to neoplastic or non-neoplastic disease. We routinely use negative pressure ventilation (NPV) under general anaesthesia to prevent intraoperative apnoea and respiratory acidosis. This procedure allows opioid sparing, a shorter recovery time and avoids manually assisted ventilation, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen needed, while maintaining optimal surgical conditions. The major indication for NPV rigid bronchoscopy at our institution has been airway obstruction by neoplastic tracheobronchial tissue, mainly treated by laser-assisted mechanical dissection. When strictly necessary, we use silicone stents for neoplastic or cicatricial strictures, reserving metal stents to cover tracheo-oesophageal fistulae. NPV rigid bronchoscopy is an excellent tool for the endoscopic treatment of locally advanced tumours of the lung, especially when patients have exhausted the conventional therapeutic resources. Laser-assisted mechanical resection and stent placement are the most effective procedures for preserving quality of life in patients with advanced stage cancer., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: Central airway obstruction (CAO) is a life-threatening situation. Stent insertion re-establishes patency of the central airways. Self-expanding metallic Y stents have been available since 2005, widening the spectrum of interventional bronchoscopic techniques., Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients treated for CAO with a self-expanding metallic Y stent at the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg between May 2005 and January 2009., Results: A total of 43 patients aged 26-81 had a metallic Y stent inserted endoscopically for the treatment of CAO; 39 of these patients (90.7%) had CAO due to malignant disease, four patients (9.3%) due to benign disease. In all 43 patients, the Y stent was deployed without any complications. A longitudinal follow up was possible in 32 of the 43 patients. The stents remained in situ for an average of 107.1 days (range 1-640 days). In 29 patients with malignant CAO the stenosis was successfully overcome with a Y stent; 11 of these patients died within 6 weeks following stent insertion. On follow up the remaining 18 patients showed immediate improvement of dyspnoea. Eight out of the 18 patients (44.4%) tolerated the stent without problems, two (11.1%) required further stenting, six (33.3%) had complications such as increased secretions, cough, dyspnoea or granulation tissue formation. The stent was removed in one patient (5.6%) due to increased secretions, and in another (5.6%) as the stent was no longer required due to successful tumour-specific therapy., Conclusion: Placement of Y stents in symptomatic CAO allows for quick relief of symptoms. Severe complications are rare. Stent removal is possible after successful treatment of the primary tumour. However, the prognostic indicator for survival is the underlying malignancy.

Background and Objective: Microdebrider bronchoscopy is a relatively new modality for the management of central airway obstruction (CAO) of both benign and malignant origin. Our objective was to describe our experience with this technique, with special attention to its safety and effectiveness., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed cases of therapeutic bronchoscopies using microdebrider for CAO from two institutions (M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Michael E. Debakey VA Medical Center, Houston) from August 2008 through February 2012., Results: We identified 51 cases. Malignant CAO was detected in 36 cases (71%): non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 22), melanoma (n = 3), small-cell-lung cancer (n = 2), thyroid cancer (n = 2), esophageal carcinoma (n = 2), breast cancer (n = 2), and others (n = 3). Benign diseases included: papillomas (n = 8), granulation tissue (n = 3), and others (n = 4). Obstruction was purely endoluminal in 32 cases (63%). Pre-treatment obstruction was severe in 25 cases (49%), moderate in 20 cases (39%) and mild in 6 (12%). Lesions were located in the trachea (n = 23), main stem bronchi (n = 25), and bronchus intermedius (n = 8), with some patients having more than one lesion. After tumor debulking with microdebrider, the residual airway obstruction was insignificant (n = 27 cases; 53%), mild (n = 23 cases; 45%), and moderate (n = 1; 2%). No major complications were encountered, only 2 patients had mild adverse events: one case of pneumomediastinum, and one self-expandable stent damage requiring its removal. Two patients (4%) died within 30 days of causes unrelated to the procedure or the CAO., Conclusions: Microdebrider bronchoscopy is a potentially safe and effective way to manage central airway obstruction of both malignant and benign origin., (© 2013 The Authors. Respirology © 2013 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between variables associated with hypoxemia in children who underwent rigid bronchoscopy for foreign body removal., Methods: From April 1993 to April 2011, four hundred and one children who inhaled foreign bodies were included. Apart from descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors related to hypoxemia., Results: Among the patients aged up to one year, the risk of hypoxemia was five and a half times higher than for patients aged 1 or older (OR=5.6), whereas the risk of patients who underwent foreign body removal using seed type tweezers having hypoxemia was approximately 4 times higher than that of patients who underwent this procedure with other types of tweezers (OR=3.7). Furthermore, for each additional minute in the duration of the procedure, the risk of hypoxemia reached 4% (OR=1.04)., Conclusion: Our results suggest that children younger than 1 year who require RB seem to be vulnerable to a higher risk of hypoxemia, especially in longer procedures in which seed tweezers are used., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)